Moon Rises Slowly
by Lazy Bastard
Summary: Third Great Shinobi War. Things get worse when you have 2 Uchihas on your team:one is a happy-go-lucky child prodigy and the second hasn't even awakened his Sharingan. Hayate was sure his teammates would be the death of him. And then Sensei showed up.
1. Sons leave for battle

Title: Moon rises slowly

Rating: T

Main characters: Gekkou Hayate, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Izuna (my OC), Uzumaki Kushina

Pairings: undecided for main characters, Kushina/Minato, most canon ones at the time.

Summary: The Third Great Shinobi War. A difficult time to grow up, indeed. With the graduation age lowered, things get worse when you have two Uchihas on your team. Not to mention that one of them is a happy-go-lucky child prodigy and the second hasn't even awakened his Sharingan. Hayate was sure his teammates would be the death of him. And then Sensei showed up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, they belong to their respective owners. I do not make any profit of this fanwork. I do, however, own the plotline and all the OC.

A/N. That idea came to my mind just a few days ago and I've decided to give it a shot. I've tried to check all the facts carefully and I'm pretty sure that ages, canon events and the timeline is quite accurate. The story starts about 4 years before the Kyuubi attack. I hope you'll enjoy it and good luck to us all!

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**Chapter One. Sons leave for battle.**

_**Hayate**_

The sun has definitely chosen that particular day to shed its brightest rays to the pitiful earth. With the birds chirping, the small forest animals rustling in the grass near the road and the unusually warm breeze from the north-west it was easy to forget about the war. Hayate wished he could join these animals in their peaceful lives, so that the wind from the north-west won't remind him of the land it came from. There, seemingly far away but not so for a well-trained shinobi, lay Tsuchi no Kuni and within it Iwagakure no Sato. The wind blowing from there certainly couldn't bring good news, since two months before that a war unleashed between Iwa and Konoha. Hayate reminded himself that he, indeed, was on a mission and it wasn't the perfect time for futile thoughts about the world's politics, especially when one was on his first ever C-rank with his team.

Hayate snapped out of his thoughts and checked the surroundings. Everything seemed fine and they weren't that far away from the village yet, so he didn't have to be at full awareness. The boy regarded each member of his team and sighed, wondering once again what gods he had pissed off in his past life to find himself in such a messy situation. Shisui was walking a bit ahead of the group, his arms raised behind his head nonchalantly, obviously not having a single concern in the world. For Kami's sake, he was _whistling_! The guy wasn't worried in the slightest about their first C-rank, or so it seemed. Hayate had to give it to the younger boy: for being a seven-year-old prodigy from none other but the Uchiha clan he certainly had a nice attitude, hell, he was the first Uchiha without the usual "I'm a stuck-up bastard who is better than you" behavior Hayate had ever met. It didn't actually excuse his carelessness but that was better than the waves of nervousness and depression radiating from his second teammate. Hayate turned his head a bit to look at his peer who was slightly behind. Uchiha Izuna was nine as Hayate himself, but he already was the tallest of them, the fact that pissed Hayate off quite a bit. What was that with the Uchihas and their early growth spurts? Despite that unsettling circumstance, however, Izuna also wasn't as arrogant as your regular member of that clan. He instead was the most nervous and diffident Uchiha of all Hayate knew. He cursed his luck again: why it was him forced to deal with the unusual guys all the time?

He considered himself the most mentally stable and average of the whole group, the thought both pleasant and a bit sad. Hayate wasn't supposed to be average if he ever wanted to gain his brother's approval…that was the dangerous territory, so he quickly turned his attention to the last member of their small circus on the road: his sensei. Uzumaki Kushina was _strange_. But, come to think about it, which high-ranked shinobi wasn't? First off, she was young to be given a team of Genin. Usually, Jounin at 19 were off assassinating people for the ANBU corps, but with a war at their hands the Council has decided to let some of the less experienced members to devote their time to building more soldiers for the village. Meaning fresh-from-the-Academy Genin with no field experience, with the graduation age reduced to 9. Hayate knew that some of the guys he graduated with a month ago were dead already, stumbling over an unexpected group of Iwa nins in the presumably safe area. He wasn't sure what to think about it, since it was war, but late evenings left him wondering if he was going to share their fate on his first serious mission. Which was _now_. The boy returned to his musings about sensei while checking on his surroundings again. She was…not exactly girlish. While the same could be said about many kunoichi, they at least behaved like they were female beings. Kushina-sensei, on the other hand, was rarely seen in tidy clothes with her hair combed properly and her favorite activities included training, pulling pranks on everybody in her sight, beating the crap out of somebody and booze. Not your usual description of a girl, yeah. Gekkou clan females were always so polite and calm that Hayate was at first shocked by his sensei's antics, though after a month with her he thought he liked it better. After all, girls could be such pains in the ass. Some might be surprised by Hayate's peculiar vocabulary, but hell, it was war and not a place for etiquettes and wasting time on useless pretty words. He tried, of course, not to curse much around Shisui: the guy was strong and a prodigy, but too young for that, if anyone asked for Hayate's opinion.

The mission was not too difficult: deliver the huge weapons supply sealed away in storage scrolls hanging all over the shinobi and a new set of instructions to the outpost in Kusa territory. Team Kushina left early in the morning and they were now coming near the border from which it would take them about an hour to reach their destination. Kusa was dangerous, having become a battlefield for the two Great Shinobi Nations, it was devastated and full of traps as well as wandering enemy squads. Kushina suddenly raised an arm and Hayate was pulled back to reality at the rough stop.

'We are near the border. Be at full alert, I'm not having you dead because of carelessness on our first mission. Formation B.'

Her voice was far from the usual mischievous one, sounding rough and commanding.

They obeyed quickly, the formations drilled into their heads during the training month: Shisui, their close-combat one, in the front with Hayate, the kenjutsu user, closely behind; Izuna in the middle and sensei watching their backs. Moving with as much stealth as they could master, the team started on their race. They didn't have a scout on the team therefore infiltrating the enemy territory became considerably more difficult: everyone had to watch their chosen direction carefully. Shisui suddenly stopped and Hayate flinched warily, did he notice anything? Shisui made a few gestures with his left hand, ANBU silent communication code which Kushina had insisted they learn.

'_Possible threat. 2 o'clock. Three._'

Hayate studied the given area intensely trying to find the danger but sensei motioned for them to keep moving.

'_Just animals. __Keep on.' _

Shisui nodded and jumped to the next branch. They were high in the trees, the environment working to their advantage, though that was going to end soon, according to the map. Kusa was more fields and plains than forests, not the most comfortable ground for both Konoha and Iwa nins. The edge of the tree-covered area was already in sight so they descended to the ground. Ahead lay a grass field, drowned in sunlight, leaving them with a kilometer-long unprotected sector. The group came to a stop under the last tree and Kushina motioned for them to lower themselves to the ground. Halfway through the field Hayate decided that he hated crawling, especially with all the scrolls and his sword on his back. Despite that, it seemed they were doing a good job of hiding as the team managed to reach the next island of forest without any disturbance. The outpost was approximately 10 minutes further to the north and they became twice as careful. Hayate ran and was feeling oddly uncomfortable though he couldn't quite get what was unsettling him. Suddenly it clicked and he stopped at once. Shisui glanced at him seriously and Hayate hurried to prove his point.

'_Too quiet. No birds, no animals. Something's wrong.'_

Kushina nodded and closed her eyes, then answered

'_I feel 4 chakra signatures near the outpost. Should be 5. Need to check. Possibly enemy. Formation C.' _

Hayate shivered inwardly: what seemed to be a simple mission was turning out worse than he thought. There were possible invaders at the outpost and though their numbers were equal, it didn't mean anything in terms of power. He took his place in the new order: formation C was meant for infiltration and combat. Sensei was first with Shisui and Hayate at her sides while Izuna followed behind. They hid in the trees when the outpost came to view. There was no one at the guard position though they should have been noticed already. Silence crept over the place and Hayate was desperately trying not to breath to loudly. Where were the guys sensei had felt? They were surely enemy nins and he suddenly felt vulnerable and unprepared. Maybe he _was_ going to die here.

Suddenly Hayate was sent flying forward with a powerful kick on his back. He somehow managed to turn in the air and landed on a branch near Shisui. He looked up and had to dodge a wave of kunai flying straight at him. The genin flipped backwards and tried to estimate the situation. He could see two nins in zipper-less flak jackets and one-sleeved black undershirts in front and above him, another one who was trying to pin Izuna to the tree with shuriken and a taller guy with a kunai attacking Kushina-sensei. One look at their hitai-ates told him everything: they had 3 Chuunin and a Jounin from Iwa attacking them and there was no way in hell they were inexperienced or hesitant to kill. Hayate's only thought was '_Shit_.'

_**Shisui**_

Shisui was shocked. He never had problems with admitting unpleasant truths to himself, so that much was obvious. They were being attacked, for real. He knew they called him a prodigy, but he never had been in a real battle before. Sure, intense training with the best teachers the Uchiha clan had to offer wasn't just your everyday morning exercise, but they never intended to kill him and neither did he. The moment Shisui caught the eye of that Chuunin who was sending a wave of kunai at him, he knew that was his reality, the world he had to live in and the rule was simple: kill or be killed. Before he could only listen to his teachers, imagine what would happen to a human body if hit by one of his Katon ninjutsu, but now, looking in the eyes of that man, he finally got it. And he knew what to do.

He Shunshin'ed behind the attacking nin and sliced his throat with his own kunai. At least that's what he intended to do, but the guy just wasn't there anymore. Shisui felt the air shift on his right and used Shunshin again, this time aiming for the enemy's elbow joint where his blow was blocked. They exchanged a few punches and it became clear that he had no other choice. Shisui jumped backwards and up and upon landing on a branch activated his Sharingan. Two angry three-tomoe eyes followed his enemy's movements.

The Genin took a deep breath and sent his kunai flying. He forced the enemy to jump back and to the left where he was met by a pair of shuriken with steel wire attached. With a final flick of his wrists Shisui tied the guy tightly to a tree. _'Gotcha'_ he smirked. He approached the struggling shinobi quickly and was taking another kunai out when the enemy in front of him started _melting_. _'What?'_ he thought and turned around sensing movement. _'A Tsuchi Bunshin!'_ and then he saw his opponent finish the seals and yell: **'Doton: Doro Houshi'**. A river of mud was towering over Shisui and his only way out was up. He escaped the flood and intended to land on the only clear spot. The Genin was some meter from the ground when with another set of hand-seals the Chuunin intoned: **'Doton: Doryuusou'**. Long stone spikes rose from the ground and the boy didn't have the time to dodge. He fell hard and three spikes pierced straight through his body.

The Iwa shinobi sighed contently and jumped down to the trembling form of Shisui. He walked casually to his fallen opponent and smirked.

'Looks like you're dying here, poor little bunny. Your eyes I'll take with me'.

'I wouldn't be so sure about that' a voice said right behind him. With wide eyes the Iwa nin saw the figure in front of him melt into mud. He was turning around when he heard the last words in his life. **'Katon: Goukakyuu'**.

Shisui rubbed his back tiredly and looked at the ugly deformed form of his opponent. He was dead for sure, but the sight wasn't the most pleasant one: his half-turned face a stiff mask of burned flash, empty eye sockets, left arm completely obliterated, his body held standing by instantly dried mud. And the smell. Shisui held back the urge to vomit. So that's what a Katon jutsu can do to a man. He was pulled out of his stupor by the sound of about ten kunai flying towards him. Shisui jumped up and noticed the exploding tags attached to them. _'Oops'_ and he Shunshin'ed to the high branch, barely escaping the explosion. He looked down and saw the place where he was just a moment ago completely burnt. The awful figure was gone too, leaving only the legs down from his knees standing, burnt.

'So you managed to fool Kimura. Shouldn't have been hard, he was such a waste. I, however, am a different story. You might want to know that your little friend in blue is dead too. So we're even.'

Another Chuunin was standing right opposite Shisui, arms folded on his chest.

'Izuna!'

Shisui cried out and felt rage and terror like he never had before. His teammate was dead because he wasn't good enough, he spent too much time here, he couldn't help. Shisui shouted, completely furious:

'I'll kill you!' and attacked.

His movements have never been so fast and precise before, but he felt that wasn't enough. He Shunshin'ed and Shunshin'ed, again and again, going faster and faster, trying to get through the enemy's, no, that murderer's defenses. The Iwa Chuunin was taken aback at first, but he gained his composure and was dodging and counter-attacking very soon. That was taijutsu in its grace. Shisui did another Shunshin and felt something he couldn't quite describe. It was as though he was sliding, overcoming the barrier of speed and accuracy of the jutsu, as though he could flow through space with a blink of an eye. He felt that he was just a step away from outrunning the enemy and getting him when…

Shisui fell to the ground feeling as though something snapped inside of him. He tried to stop his fall, to keep going, but his body just refused to move. He hit the ground hard and lay there, panting and hurting so much. The enemy jumped down to him and advanced slowly.

'Looks like you're out of chakra, kid. Time to die.'

Shisui somehow managed to turn on his back but he could only watch as the enemy took out a kunai. A million thoughts flew through his mind. _'Am I about to die? Why couldn't I avenge Izuna? Why am I so weak?!'_ The Iwa nin swung. Shisui didn't close his eyes.

But the blow never came. The enemy's hand was held tight by another, wrapped in dirty bandages and covered in blood but never moving an inch. Shisui looked up. Izuna stood there, holding the attacker's arm with one hand, the other embedding a kunai in his stomach, his eyes flashing red. His two-tomoe Sharingan was spinning fast, looking straight at his enemy's astonished face.

_**Izuna**_

Izuna didn't remember the time when he was considered _worthy._ His efforts were always not enough, his resolve not strong, his achievements below the standard. He knew all too well how it felt to be looked down at by everybody, even your own family despite all your struggles. And his brother only worsened it. He said Izuna needn't worry, that he was doing well, that everybody else were just plain stupid. But Izuna knew that his brother was wrong, he only said it because he himself hadn't accomplished anything. So he tried harder and knew he wasn't good enough.

When his enemy appeared and leapt on him, Izuna ran. Because he was a Genin, who was unworthy, unskilled and weak and he couldn't hold up against a Chuunin. The Iwa nin taunted him and threw insults at him, but it wasn't anything new. Izuna knew everything he said was right so he fled. But he wasn't fast enough, again, and he was caught. He tried to struggle, tried to hit hard as he was taught, the blows he had practiced with sensei, who was so far the only one of his teachers who actually praised him. That didn't help. A kunai was in his chest and he fell, he fell and it _hurt_.

The enemy Chuunin laughed and said he wouldn't taint his hands with him anymore, that he would die like a dog himself. And then he took off to kill Shisui who had obviously defeated his own opponent. And that Izuna just couldn't take. His cousin was kind, not exactly considerate, but he treated Izuna like an equal. And he was his teammate. If he died, that would be Izuna's fault. And so he struggled.

Izuna wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he gathered all his strength and rose to his knees. His shirt was soaking with blood, his vision was blurred, it hurt, but he pushed further, pushed with everything he had. And suddenly the world stood still.

It was so clear. He could see every grass blade, every leaf in the tree above him. Izuna took a breath and the air was just too fresh, the world full of life and movement. He felt it rather than understood consciously. So he stood up and saw life in the other way. That was the real world. That was the Sharingan.

A few heartbeats later there he was, holding an enemy's kunai away from Shisui, his Sharingan awakened and finally ready. He could do that and he would. The time was pressing and Izuna acted fast. He threw the Iwa nin away from his fallen cousin and jumped after him. With the Sharingan his natural ability in taijutsu seemed to have increased ten times: he was faster, defter, he could almost predict his opponent's movements. And then a plan formed at once in his head and he flashed through such familiar seals: _'Rat, Tiger, Dog, Ox, Rabbit, Tiger'_ **'Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!'** His shuriken flew hidden inside the balls of fire and Izuna flipped backwards to avoid getting fried himself. The enemy wasn't so lucky. He fell on his back and stayed motionless, two shuriken deep in his throat.

Izuna left out a breath and watched, memorizing. That was necessary, but he had to deal with it later. He limped back to Shisui who managed to sit up already and knelt near him. The younger boy was looking at him with relief and a bit of awe.

'I'm glad you're alive.'

'Yeah, me too.'

And then they flinched at once and exclaimed:

'Hayate! Sensei!'

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**A/N ** _List of jutsu and other special concepts: _

_Tsuchi no Kuni – Earth Country_

_Iwagakure no Sato-Hidden Stone Village_

_Kusa no Kuni – Grass Country_

_Shunshin no Jutsu – Body Flicker Technique_

_Tsuchi Bunshin – Earth clone_

_Doton: Doro Houshi – Earth Release :__ Mud Indulgence_

_Doton: Doryuusou - Earth Release: Rising Stone Spears_

_Katon : Goukakyuu – Fire Release: Great Fireball_

_Katon : Housenka- Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire_

Please, do leave me a review so that I knew if I should continue with this story! Thanks)


	2. Images of Broken Light

Title: Moon rises slowly

Rating: T

Main characters: Gekkou Hayate, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Izuna (my OC), Uzumaki Kushina

Pairings: undecided for main characters, Kushina/Minato, most canon ones at the time.

Summary: The Third Great Shinobi War. A difficult time to grow up, indeed. With the graduation age lowered, things get worse when you have two Uchihas on your team. Not to mention that one of them is a happy-go-lucky child prodigy and the second hasn't even awakened his Sharingan. Hayate was sure his teammates would be the death of him. And then Sensei showed up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, they belong to their respective owners. I do not make any profit of this fanwork. I do, however, own the plotline and all the OC.

**Chapter Two. **** Images of Broken Light.**

_**Hayate**_

He saw Kushina-sensei glance warily at their surroundings and seemingly make up her mind. She threw a dozen kunai at the Iwa Jounin and yelled at Hayate before jumping after them.

'Take the other one, I'll handle him!'

And thus, he tried. His first goal was to lead the enemy away from his sensei: her battles were usually quite _devastating _according to the older shinobi he'd talked to and he didn't want to get hit in the process. The task proved to be surprisingly easy and Hayate guessed his opponent was given a similar order. The following events, however, made him doubt that assumption. Maybe the enemy just didn't realize what was going on. He kept pursuing Hayate without trying hard to hit him; his weapons didn't even get near the Genin. Perhaps, his aim wasn't good. Hayate finally came to a stop and turned to face the other shinobi who immediately started forming hand-seals. Hayate froze: his chakra capacity was low and he didn't really know any jutsu outside the basic, Academy-level ones. Well, there was _one_, but now wasn't the time to use it. So he watched and prepared to escape. His enemy did the last seal and yelled: **'Doton: Retsudo Tenshou!'**.

The ground under Hayate's feet started to spiral inwards on itself so he quickly jumped up to the tree branch. The place he was just standing on collapsed and there was a huge pile of stones and crushed soil there. Hayate was safe on his branch and glanced at the enemy. He looked dumbfounded and totally surprised by Hayate's sudden escape as if he never even considered the option of his jutsu failing. Yes, that was officially confirmed, that particular Iwa Chuunin was _dumb_. Hayate sighed: why, oh why he was always the miserable one?

The enemy was breathing hard and looked exhausted which surprised the Konoha Genin immensely. Did he count on his jutsu to kill him? Was he really that reckless? What the hell was going on? Nonetheless, that was a chance and he wasn't the one to lose it. Hayate jumped forward taking his explosive kunai from the weapons pouch. He threw them straight in the enemy's face. He formed another series of hand-seals and shouted: **'Doton: Doroku Gaeshi!'**. Indeed, he had a passion for loud sounds. A wall of soil rose in front of him and stopped the kunai, though it fractured slightly from the explosion. Hayate used the smoke as distraction and jumped up on the wall. With one last look in his enemy's surprised eyes he swung his katana and detached his head from the body.

Hayate landed heavily near the still falling corpse and flinched as it hit the ground. That was his first serious battle and he was without a scratch. He didn't even have to show his will-power in a grand battle after getting serious injuries. That was so _easy_ Hayate still couldn't believe it. Was it his bad luck again? Then he glanced at the headless corpse again and shrugged: that was his first kill but the absurdness of situation didn't even let him consider it seriously. That was just child's play, was he supposed to be upset about it? Hayate shrugged his shoulders; maybe it was for the best. The only real experience he'd gained was that he'd better learn more jutsu and _always _use them carefully if he didn't want to end like that guy. He cleaned his sword with the dead man's clothes and headed in the direction he came from, where his sensei seemed to be still fighting. Most probably, she was enjoying herself.

Hayate hid in the tree, observing silently. From what he could see the Iwa Jounin had several deep cuts on his arms and torso, his right brow was also slashed, disabling his ability to see with his right eye. And sensei wasn't letting him fix it: her taijutsu attacks never stopped and she was using his right-side blindness to her advantage. However she wasn't doing too well._ 'Looks like her left arm is completely useless, broken, perhaps. That means she can't do hand-seals! I have to do something,'_ thought Hayate and prepared to use the first opening.

And then, it happened: Kushina hit the enemy with her right leg forcing him to block and turn his right side to Hayate who ran at him with all his speed unsheathing his katana. **'Ken Rendan'** he muttered slashing fast and then delivered the final slash downright, catching the Jounin unguarded and ruining his right arm, side and leg. The Iwa nin was thrown backwards and fell on his side, blood flowing from his wounds. Hayate stopped, gripping his blade with both hands, and suddenly felt horrified by the sight of his sword-work. That feeling left very soon as he told himself it was nothing to worry about after having just killed a man some five minutes ago. Sensei regarded him with one eye and said, panting slightly

'Impressive work. I take it you're finished with the other guy?'

Hayate just nodded. At that moment two more cries came from the nearby tree.

'Sensei! Hayate!' Shisui and Izuna, both severely wounded stood there, keeping each other from falling.

Their enemy cursed loudly and coughed blood. Kushina smirked.

'I see you're all finished. It seems I'm the one delaying us. I'd better end this quickly.'

She ran towards the fallen man when he hastily made seals. **'Doton: Iwagakure no Jutsu'** and he started disappearing into the soil.

'Hell no! You're not getting away!' shouted Kushina and with one final dash she drove her ANBU-style katana into his fading form. Right where his heart was. The jutsu stopped at once as blood started to flow out of his mouth and he became visible again, half-sunk into the ground. She pulled the blade out and spat on the ground.

'What a waste! Should've captured him alive since you lot turned out to be the brutal ones. How bad are your wounds, Uchiha duo? Our little Hayate here seems to be fine.' Her voice was returning back to normal as she calmed down. For Hayate it meant the return of 'nickname-giving' Kushina. He, for once, didn't mind.

It clicked. It was over and he didn't screw up. Hayate sank to his knees, suddenly feeling totally exhausted. He adjusted his headband and looked at his teammates: they weren't doing any better. Izuna looked like someone had ripped his shirt to shreds and Shisui had some trouble breathing. Sensei regarded them for a moment and then said,

'You did well. I'm proud of you. Wait here, I'll check the outpost and we'll go back. Congratulations, that was your first B-rank, I guess.'

And with that she grinned broadly.

_**Kushina**_

The journey back to Konoha was a very awkward one though it wasn't unexpected. Kushina couldn't stop cursing mentally at the stupid mission, stupid Iwa bastards, stupid circumstances, the Hokage and the world itself. Her Genin had to kill on their very first mission and the outcome wouldn't be pleasant. She looked at her team cautiously: Shisui was slightly ahead of the group once again, but his movements were stiff and uncertain, his usual whistling not heard; Izuna followed him much closer than before, obviously worried about his cousin, though his thoughtful expression was probably caused by his own deed more. It was Hayate who worried Kushina the most. He was acting as if nothing had happened, as if he was the 'before-the-mission' Hayate; that's not something you'd expect from a nine-year old in such a situation. Kushina wasn't sure what was the reason for that and she couldn't actually do much but to observe. Shisui and Izuna would overcome it and sort out their uncertainties, especially when the two Uchihas now had something to share. Even now, some hours after the battle, they seemed much closer than before though they didn't realize it themselves. Hayate, on the other hand…

Kushina made up her mind and said thoughtfully,

'Do you guys know what are the most important things for a shinobi?'

Izuna looked at her, surprised by a sudden question. 'Well, Shinobi rule 4 says: A shinobi must always put the mission first. So the mission is most important. But I guess, one's teammates are also very significant.'

Shisui added without turning his head, 'Obedience to orders and the ability to think for yourself when it's necessary are the key things. That much you learn in the Uchiha compound.' His last words were bitter and Kushina wondered what made him think so freely on the matter. It was clear that her Genin was different from most of his clan, but why? She had to observe.

'A shinobi must constantly improve his sills. Until he's the best he must never relax' Hayate's reply was short and practiced, as though the words were constantly repeated in his mind. Well, for that Kushina had some clues, having met Gekkou Junnosuke on ANBU missions. Hayate's older brother sure was _demanding_.

'You're all right. These things are to never be forgotten. But there's more to being a shinobi. Some will tell you that a shinobi is a tool therefore you shouldn't let your emotions cloud your perspective, shouldn't even feel. And tell you what: don't you believe these lies.' The Genins' attention was now fully on her. Kushina looked up, watching the clouds run fast above her head.

'A shinobi must never lose himself to anything be it power, bloodlust, fear, uncertainty or violence. He must see into himself clearly and realize his flaws. Even if you kill hundreds in the war you mustn't regard yourself as a machine for killing, forgetting that those you've killed were people too. Neither should you blame yourself too much for what you did. Never forget and remain true to yourself, that's what most important for a shinobi. You'll understand it in time.'

She sighed and shook off the memories of the past, the trembling shadows of her family and of all her enemies which surrounded her. Kushina smiled and shouted at her team,

'Enough philosophy! Compose yourselves, brats; I don't want to be back in Konoha a century late. Speed up!'

And so they did.

_**Shisui**_

Shisui thought carefully about his sensei's words. That was so different from what his tutors and family told him: an Uchiha was meant to be a tool designed to bring fame and glory to his clan, no more than that. However, the second part of Kushina's speech was most probably true: he knew he wouldn't be able to cope with the whole 'you're a murderer' thing without being honest with himself. And if that was right, perhaps the first part was too? He did kill that guy, in a horrible way even, but should that be his only purpose in life? Was he to abandon his human nature; was he not to feel fear, sadness, and happiness? Shisui wasn't so sure anymore.

The group was advancing quickly, well, as quickly as they could with two members of the team injured and exhausted. The gates of Konoha soon came into view and Shisui was really glad to see them for soon he would be showering, eating and sleeping properly as a good little shinobi he was. The guards checked their papers and the password, one could never be too cautious at times like these. Kushina looked at them with just a tiny bit of pity, but nonetheless didn't dismiss them and the team went to the Hokage Tower to submit their mission report.

'_There sure is an unusual crowd here,'_ he thought as they walked up the stairs: peope were running back and forth with stacks of papers, many teams were waiting right in front of the Hokage's office obviously wishing to report as soon as possible and leave. Team Kushina also took their place in the queue and sensei asked the Jounin near her,

'What's that all about? Had the Hokage taken a lunch-break and still not returned?'

The man chuckled slightly and answered, 'If only. No, I heard, the Uchiha elders came here about an hour ago and they're still discussing. Something about an incident with that group that took their heir to the Sano Shrine today. They were ambushed and almost all killed.'

Shisui listened and his heart sank. Sano Shrine, the heir, killed…

'Itachi!' he yelled and ran to the closed doors of the office, bursting them open. Inside was the Clan Council and Uchiha Fugaku, the Head of the Clan, sitting in front of the Hokage, conversing loudly. There was a quarrel going on but Shisui couldn't care less.

'Where is he? Is he all right? How could you risk his life like that? I…' he was interrupted by a Council member who barked angrily,

'How dare you come here in the middle of the meeting! Such disrespect will be punished. Now get out and wait there!'

Shisui didn't even look at him. 'Where is Itachi? Answer me now!' he looked at Fugaku intensely.

The Hokage silenced the elders who were just about to yell at Shisui and said calmly,

'You shouldn't have stormed in like that, Uchiha-kun, but given the circumstances it's excusable. Don't worry, Itachi-kun is fine and unscratched. He is resting at home. Maybe you should go check on him? I'm sure your Sensei will deal with the mission report.'

Shisui breathed in: Itachi was fine and that was all that mattered. He bowed to the Hokage and the Council and said,

'Excuse me for my rudeness; I'll be taking my leave.' With that he turned around and left the office.

**A/N ** _List of jutsu and other special concepts: _

_Doton: Retsudo Tenshou – Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm_

_Doton: Doroku Gaeshi – Earth Release: Earth Shore Return_

_Ken Rendan – Sword Barrage_

_Doton: Iwagakure no Jutsu – Earth Release: Hidden Among Rocks Technique_

Next time: What happened to Itachi? Why is Shisui so worried? Will Kushina be able to help her students? What about Gekkou Junnosoke?

Check out! R&R!


	3. A Stone Inside the Box

Title: Moon rises slowly

Rating: T

Main characters: Gekkou Hayate, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Izuna (my OC), Uzumaki Kushina

Pairings: undecided for main characters, Kushina/Minato, most canon ones at the time.

Summary: The Third Great Shinobi War. A difficult time to grow up, indeed. With the graduation age lowered, things get worse when you have two Uchihas on your team. Not to mention that one of them is a happy-go-lucky child prodigy and the second hasn't even awakened his Sharingan. Hayate was sure his teammates would be the death of him. And then Sensei showed up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, they belong to their respective owners. I do not make any profit of this fanwork. I do, however, own the plotline and all the OC.

**Chapter Three. ****A Stone inside the Box.**

_**Kushina**_

Shisui stormed out of the office never bothering to close the door behind him. It would have slammed loudly if not for the Hokage's precautions; many people these days just needed to bang the village leader's door so he had wisely had a stopper put on it. Shisui glanced curtly at his team, jerked his head angrily and ran off.

'Shisui, wait, we…ah, never mind' Kushina just knew it'd turn out like this; her first serious mission and already there was some trouble with the stupid, stupid Uchiha clan, obviously causing pain to her students. Well, she knew for sure what to do in such circumstances: jump into the sharks' pool head on! She motioned for the team to follow her and entered the office. Immediately the heads were turned in their direction and the elders couldn't stay silent.

'What is that? Like sensei, like student, so they say. How dare you, worthless girl, interrupt us?'

The same old story. Kushina turned to the Hokage, never paying attention to the insults, for now that is.

'Hokage-sama, what has just happened? That concerns my team and we need to know.' Her tone was polite and calm; though under the surface dangerous vibrations could be felt. Before the Hokage had a chance to answer, a grey-headed and tall Uchiha elder snapped at her,

'You were told to leave, Uzumaki! This is out of your competence, _that_ you should understand, that's the business of the Uchiha clan! Your ability to obey the orders of superiors is questioned as it is, therefore your ability to teach properly is. A no-name like yourself should know her place!'

That was too much for Kushina today; personal insults were one thing but her family…

'The Uzumaki Clan was worth a thousand Uchiha, I have to remind you! If not for the destruction, I'd never be here listening to old fools like you trying to boss me around! You're a shame of that village, not its' pride! If given an opportunity, you'd turn everybody into mindless tools; I won't let you do that to my students, mark my words! '

'Oh, are we speaking about the same Uzumaki clan then? The one that so stupidly got itself destructed save for a snotty girl who came here begging for shelter?' the elder just wasn't going to stop. Another one joined him,

'We don't even have to remember these old days, look at the present! Why she was given such a team is beyond my comprehension! Look what she's done to them! Our prodigy has forgotten his place and role in the war, the Gekkou brat doesn't seem to advance fast enough and the last…a disgrace to the Uchiha clan will always be a disgrace!'

Kushina moved forward and opened her mouth to protest, to shove in their smug faces the fact that Izuna has, in fact, advanced more than they'd ever gave him credit for, but she felt a pull on her sleeve. That was Izuna, looking at her sternly, obviously not wanting for her to interfere. He stepped in front of her and calmly said, lifting his reddened eyes from the ground,

'I would beg to differ this time, honorable Council. Sensei is indeed capable to teach us and help us develop our abilities. For all I know, she's the best instructor our team could have got.' The words came out of his throat with difficulty, his voice was noticeably hoarse, apparently, he was forcing himself to speak so openly. Kushina smiled slightly at his back and stepped forward once again.

'Forgive our rudeness, Hokage-sama, honorable Council, the mission was tough for all of us. Would you please give us the details of what happened to our team member?' For Kushina these words were as hard to say as ever, but further arguments would only worsen the situation. She had to rule her temper again.

The Hokage finally decided to interfere,

'Let's all calm down now.' He said sternly and leveled all the people in the room with his gaze. 'Team Kushina, you need to know that Uchiha Itachi and his escort were attacked on their way to the Sano Shrine. The casualties were huge. Your teammate was worried about young Itachi and couldn't quite control his temper, though the matter is solved now. You could have waited outside to get this information, but I understand your worries. Now, I suppose, our meeting is over. Uzumaki-san, stay behind to report about your mission. Your team is dismissed.'

There wasn't much to do after that. Izuna and Hayate went out of the office, followed by the fuming Council. Kushina watched them leave and couldn't help looking at Uchiha Fugaku. The man looked distressed, though he tried to conceal it. That left her wondering if he was simply worried about his son and didn't want to show it as something _inappropriate_ for the Head of the Uchiha clan or there was more to it. Kushina looked at the Hokage as the door to the office closed. The man sighed and sat on his chair tiredly, then motioned for her to come closer.

'You're as rash and hot-headed as ever, Kushina-chan. When will you learn not to create more trouble for yourself? At least your Genin have some sense, maybe they'll pass it on to you, since your friends seem not able to do it. Report now.'

Kushina straightened her back during the scolding and was prepared to turn the situation in her favor.

'The mission was supposedly C-rank, old man, but we ran into an Iwa squad that had destroyed the outpost. Three Chuunin and a Jounin, we took them out. My boys did a good job; moreover, Izuna has awakened his Sharingan. They seem to get along better with Shisui now, though Hayate troubles me. He took his first kill rather unemotionally, though I'll deal with it. It was a B-rank easily, I'll mark that in the report as well as the details.'

Sarutobi winced a little at her familiarity, but listened attentively, nodding contently when she told him about the wonderful performance of the team. He gave her a small smile and said,

'Good, you've trained them well. I'll try to postpone your next serious mission for as much as I can, but don't expect more than 3 or 4 days of rest. You should have some too. Dismissed.'

Kushina went to the door of his office, but turned around halfway, 'Oi, old man. Why did they send the Uchiha brat to the faraway shrine at time like that? I've never heard of such high respect for religion amongst the Uchiha. And don't they have their own shrine here in Konoha?'

Hokage looked at her attentively for a while and then spoke slowly, 'The decisions of the Clan about their heir are not mine to question, not now. But I had the same questions as you and I didn't get any answers. I've been reported, however, that some Iwa squads were noticed near Sano Shrine a few days ago, and I'm confident to assume the Elders knew about it. They decided to take a risk, so it seems.' He didn't say anything else, but that was enough for Kushina. She bowed and left the office.

On her way home she could do nothing but swear mentally (perhaps, a few things she said aloud, if the looks were any indication) and hope for the Uchiha brat to deal with it. He was obviously important to her Genin and, thus, he was her responsibility too. If the Clan wanted him to become a half-crazed killer obsessed with blood (and that was what they were looking for, apparently), then she would do something to prevent that. Kushina didn't know yet what that something would be, but she had time. And to oppose the stupid stuck-up bastards in their own territory…that was exciting! She smirked angrily and picked up her pace.

_**Shisui**_

It is not known if anybody has ever tried setting a speed record of getting from the Hokage Tower to the Uchiha compound, but today Shisui has definitely outrun them. He wanted to get to Itachi as fast as possible, nearly flying over the rooftops. Chakra exhaustion be damned, he even managed to perform Shunshin a few times and only slowed down a bit at the compound gates where the guards were stationed. They checked him with unusual thoroughness, asking peculiar questions to make sure he wasn't somebody else under Henge. Shisui started to get frustrated when they finally let him in and he could continue his run. He was almost sure about his target's whereabouts: at difficult times Itachi was most likely to be found at the small koi pond near the western wall, something about the fish helping him think. Shisui knew his cousin has always been a loner and the place was perfect for him since nobody really went there especially at that time of a day. Shisui advanced quickly and indeed he was right.

Itachi sat near the water, his eyes glued to the surface, looking even smaller than he actually was, his clothes a bit messy. Shisui made his presence known by emphasizing his steps deliberately which was enough for the younger boy to turn his head. The Genin looked at him searching for any wounds or scratches but he was completely unprepared for a frightened look in his cousin's eyes when he looked at his chest. Shisui glanced briefly to find whatever was so unsettling about him and realized he hasn't changed or showered after the mission and his shirt was stiff with dried blood. Realization flashed through his mind and he ripped the damned shirt from his body and tossed it aside. Itachi relaxed slightly only to tense again at the sight of the bandages. Shisui sighed and sat near him.

'Hey, shrimp. Sorry about the clothes and that. Heard you've had a tough day, ne?'

Itachi looked up at him and nodded.

'Shisui-nii, were you injured on a mission? Does it hurt?'

'A bit. But I'm a tough guy, don't you know? I'll manage. What happened to you worries me more than some petty wound. Never thought they'd be stupid enough to get all religious at time like this. Are you ok?' Shisui looked intently in Itachi's eyes at the last question, searching for something.

The younger boy looked back and started trembling slightly, tears forming in his eyes and a second later he was hugging Shisui tightly, hiding his face in his chest and sobbing. Shisui was startled by a sudden display of emotions from a usually calm boy, but composed himself quickly and stroked his hair, holding him closer. Itachi started talking.

'It was horrible, Shisui-nii, they appeared so suddenly and the guys in front of me just fell down, and the blood was all over me, and they all died, all of them and…I was so scared! Why does there have to be war if it's so horrible? Why are there ninja if they only kill and die? Why can't we live peacefully, Shisui-nii?!'

Shisui rocked him back and forth while Itachi cried and muttered. When he calmed down and looked at Shisui again, the Genin said quietly,

'That's how our world is, Ita-chan. We were born shinobi, not having a choice. For now the best we can do is become strong to be able to change it in the future. Will you become strong with me to make the world better?'

Itachi wiped his eyes and nodded seriously. Shisui gave him a small smile and stood up.

'I've got mild chakra problems now, but the best way to cure me is to train, ne? Let's go throw some kunai, shrimp! I bet I'll get there faster than you!'

And with that he started running, followed closely by his cousin.

_**Izuna**_

Izuna carefully opened the door to his house trying not to make any noises. He listened intently for a while and, having confirmed nobody was at home, breathed out and relaxed. He was in no shape to meet his family now. The best option for the moment was shower and he gladly accepted it. About half an hour later a much cleaner and good-smelling boy entered the kitchen. A quick inspection proved there were just enough ingredients for some vegetable stew to add to his rice. He was almost falling asleep standing but, obviously, dinner was his duty tonight so Izuna started chopping, slicing and stewing.

He has just finished setting up the table when the front door was opened and somebody entered the house. Izuna tensed up but relaxed when he realized it was his father, Uchiha Yukio, who came to the room shortly after.

'Welcome home, Father.'

'You're back from the mission, son? Nice to see you're well,' replied the man, taking off his Chuunin vest tiredly. He washed his hands and they sat at the table. After the meal they sat facing each other and the older man nodded to Izuna,

'Tell me about your mission.'

'It went well, Father. The rank went up to B since we were ambushed by an Iwa squad and managed to eliminate them. There were three Chuunin and a Jounin, none of my teammates are seriously harmed. And, Father…I have awakened my Sharingan.'

At that Yukio smiled and clapped his hands. 'I knew you'd make it, Izuna. You've been training so much after your mother's death, it was bound to happen. And to defeat a Chuunin on your first serious mission! It raises up my hopes for you getting into ANBU like her.'

Izuna didn't quite like being reminded of her death, but for once it was with positive implications. He briefly remembered that day 4 years ago when they heard about it, the disastrous mission of Hatake Sakumo's squad, when his mother decided to stay behind to delay their pursuers and let her leader save the rest. It didn't pay off in the end, the fact that tormented Izuna most: the war started, most of the guys she sacrificed her life for died in battle, her squad leader committed suicide. His mother would have been furious to learn about that, but she wasn't there anymore. It has become Izuna's duty to train hard and surpass her, to bring back the respect to their family. Lately, there hasn't been much of that with his father only a Chuunin and his and his brother's problems with the Sharingan. But it was about to change, Izuna said to himself.

'Yes, Father, I'll try my hardest. How was your day? And where is nii-san?'

Yukio snorted 'Just a usual day in the Police, son, nothing really interesting. Your brother is out on a mission too, they'll be returning tomorrow. He'll be glad to hear about your accomplishment.'

'_And he won't have anyone to hide behind __anymore,'_ Izuna continued mentally the unfinished sentence. He wasn't sure about his feelings towards his brother. Of course, he was proud of himself as the only real protector of family's standing, but…at times Izuna wanted to bang his head on the wall for having those traitorous thoughts. Thoughts that he was somehow better, that nii-san was just a weakling who didn't know when to stop. Izuna hated that, but sometimes he couldn't stop himself.

'I'll go to bed now, Father, the mission was tiring. Good night,' he stood up and went up the stairs to his room. Izuna stopped for a moment at his brother's door and muttered almost inaudibly 'I'm sorry, nii-san'. He shook his head at the stupidity of his actions and quickly escaped to his room. The new day awaited.

* * *

**A/N.** Sorry for the long wait, didn't have my laptop for some time. Not much action in this chapter, but that's necessary.

Check out next time: _What will happen to Shisui's and Izuna's relationship now? Will Izuna see his brother? What are Kushina's evil plans? And finally, what's going on with Hayate?!_

Stay tuned!


	4. Interlude Lost and Forgotten

Title: Moon rises slowly

Rating: T

Main characters: Gekkou Hayate, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Izuna (my OC), Uzumaki Kushina

Pairings: undecided for main characters, Kushina/Minato, most canon ones at the time.

Summary: The Third Great Shinobi War. A difficult time to grow up, indeed. With the graduation age lowered, things get worse when you have two Uchihas on your team. Not to mention that one of them is a happy-go-lucky child prodigy and the second hasn't even awakened his Sharingan. Hayate was sure his teammates would be the death of him. And then Sensei showed up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, they belong to their respective owners. I do not make any profit of this fanwork. I do, however, own the plotline and all the OC.

**A/N** My laptop has decided to take a month off with all the previously written chapters! So I've decided to post that small interlude, hope you like it. I'm still hoping to get some reviews)

So, here we go.

**Interlude****. Lost and Forgotten.**

**Hokage Tower, 4 years previously**

'Report, Hatake'

'Yes, Hokage-sama. Our information about the enemy's numbers and proficiency was incorrect, the blueprints of the building also proved false or outdated. After quick inspection, I decided to follow the original plan with minor additions. Two squad members provided distraction, another three and I proceeded with the invasion. We realized it was an ambush only after we were deep inside. There were two full ANBU squads and about 10 lower ranked Iwa nins, therefore I decided to retreat. Gekkou Shinji was killed but we managed to retrieve his body. We made it to the mountain passage to Taki since it was the nearest and the safest escape root when they caught up with us. Uchiha Hisana decided to stay and hold them back to give us time to reach the border town. I objected and volunteered to do it myself but she didn't comply. She most likely used the explosives to close the passage and protect Konoha's secrets in her body with that. The rest of the team made it to the village in 3 hours and are now at the hospital. That is all.'

Hatake Sakumo had seen better days, but the Third wasn't about to make life easier for him.

'You failed the mission, ANBU. Two of your teammates died and Iwa has all the clues necessary to declare war on us. You are hereby suspended from active duty until the investigation is complete. You will be questioned on further details later. However, I understand and respect your decision to protect the squad members and will voice my opinion to the Council. Dismissed.'

Hatake bowed and went to the door when the Hokage's voice stopped him,

'I grant you permission to explain what happened to the families of those deceased without disclosing the mission's details. I expect you to bring them the news tonight for they deserve to hear it from you. Go.'

Sakumo wasn't sure who he should visit first. He considered it a grim joke of fate, but his late teammates' families were really alike. They had spouses who were of lower rank and not the leaders in family life and two children each, the youngest being of same, tender age of 4. He decided to start with the Uchiha simply because they didn't even have the corpse to look at and thus, in a twisted sense, were easier to deal with.

Quick on his feet, not letting himself to think, doubt or grieve even for a split second, the ANBU Captain made it to the small house at the outskirts of the compound. Through the kitchen window he could see a man stirring something at the oven and two boys carrying plates and dishes to the table. They all had smiles on their faces and were laughing at something. Sakumo didn't allow himself to stop, to start shouting at himself for being the one to ruin that perfect family dinner. He went to the door and knocked.

'Mum!', someone cried inside and the sound of rapidly approaching child's footsteps fell like stones on Sakumo. The door swung open and a little boy, no older than 5 was standing at the doorstep with a happy expression on his face. 'Mum, I…' he realized there was a stranger instead of his mother and quickly bowed politely.

'Excuse me, sir, I didn't mean to offend you. How can I help you?'

Sakumo needed all of his training to say the next words,

'I have news about your mother. May I come in?'

Confusion was evident on the boy's face but he nodded and led the man to the main room.

'Who is that, Izuna?', the boy's father asked with his back to the newcomer. He turned around and stiffened instantly.

'Hatake-san? What brings you here tonight? My wife is out on a mission and…"

Sakumo didn't let him finish,

'Please, Uchiha-san, sit down. I'm afraid I have bad news for you.'

The man paled and sat on the sofa, asking in a small voice,

'Has something happened to Hisana? Is she…is she injured?'

Both boys were quiet now, looking worriedly from their father to the tall man. Sakumo sighed heavily and said,

'Hisana-san is dead. I'm sorry for your loss.'

The reaction seemed to happen in slow motion. All colour left Yukio's face, the younger boy clenched his fists desperately and the older said very softly,

'Kaa-chan…is dead? How could that have happened? She's the strongest woman in the world! She can't die!'

'Obito. Mother is dead, that man won't lie. Hatake-san, how…how did it happen?' Yukio partially regained some self-control. Sakumo nodded.

'We had a mission. You know, I can't give any details. Our intel was wrong and we had to retreat. We lost one man, Gekkou Shinji, and the enemy was closing the distance. Hisana-san decided to stay. She…she wanted to protect the rest of us, to let us return to Konoha. I'm sorry.'

'Why did you let her? Why didn't you yourself stay there?' the older boy was shouting now.

'Nii-san! How can you say that! Kaa-chan died to save that man, you have no right to blame him!' the younger boy defended Sakumo who flinched at the accusations. However, the words of a boy who's just lost his mother in his defense almost made him fall.

'Thank you, Hatake-san, for telling us. You didn't have to…' Yukio stood up uneasily. Sakumo turned to leave,

'I had to, Uchiha-san, that's the least I should do for you. I'd better leave now.'

He was led to the door by the youngest boy and just as Sakumo stepped outside, the boy said quietly,

'Mother saved you. I think, you're a good man if she did it. I will become strong like her and protect everybody too.'

The ANBU looked in the boy's eyes and replied,

'Yes, you will.'

Things went practically the same way in the Gekkou household, only it was the younger boy who blamed him. Young Hayate was quickly stopped by his brother, Junnosuke, who reprimanded him harshly. When Sakumo was on the street again he contemplated going home to his own son, Kakashi. However, he didn't want to break the sad news for the third time.

Sakumo sat on a rooftop and gazed at the stars. The night was silent and unforgiving. Perhaps the dawn, the favorite time of both Shinji and Hisana will bring him relief.

**A/N.** I hope to get my laptop back in a few days and then…the new chapter!

I hope you liked that interlude. I wanted to let Sakumo say something in his defense). So, Hayate and Izuna are more closely connected than they think, but they don't know that. Ow, the suspense)

See you soon, please, R&R!


	5. Drowning City Skyline

Title: Moon rises slowly

Rating: T

Main characters: Gekkou Hayate, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Izuna (my OC), Uzumaki Kushina

Pairings: undecided for main characters, Kushina/Minato, most canon ones at the time.

Summary: The Third Great Shinobi War. A difficult time to grow up, indeed. With the graduation age lowered, things get worse when you have two Uchihas on your team. Not to mention that one of them is a happy-go-lucky child prodigy and the second hasn't even awakened his Sharingan. Hayate was sure his teammates would be the death of him. And then Sensei showed up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, they belong to their respective owners. I do not make any profit of this fanwork. I do, however, own the plotline and all the OC.

**A.N.** So, the great day has come and my laptop is finally with me, almost new and shiny! Here goes chapter 4, in which things start to speed up a little. Hopefully, the next one will follow soon. Please, enjoy!

**Chapter ****Four. Drowning City Skyline.**

_**Izuna**_

It was early morning, the sun barely touching the rooftops in the Uchiha compound but Izuna was up and running. He had acquired the habit of jogging across the sleepy district a few years ago and, frankly, he loved these minutes alone. Nobody would look at him, judge him, think about him and solitude was truly the best companion sometimes. It gave him time to just be himself without having to put a face for his father or brother or any other observer. He liked to think that was the time for him to be just Izuna, without the burden of the Uchiha name. However, that morning his routine was disrupted by the most unexpected companion.

He appeared out of nowhere and to his shame Izuna only noticed him after half a minute of running side by side. He almost yelped and was ready to put on his 'clan-member' mask but they boy near him just shook his head and put a finger to his lips. 'Don't mind me. I want the same' was the message. And surprisingly it wasn't all that hard to consent to it, to just keep on going, this time with a partner. Izuna stuffed the fact that for a moment he actually thought of him as a _friend_ to the depths of his mind. They came to a stop at a small training area near the eastern wall and silently started with push-ups, sit-ups, stretching and all the usual stuff. The morning silence still wasn't disrupted safe for their more rapid breathing and occasional rustles of the grass. When they were done with the exercises Izuna's companion decided to break the silence.

'A spar? Taijutsu only.'

Izuna nodded and they took their stances only to erupt into movement a second later. It wasn't anything too pushing, just a middle-paced spar to emphasize the precision and accuracy, to build up strength behind the hits. It seemed as though they've been doing it together for ages, when that was the first time. With Kushina-sensei it was always fast, give-it-your-all, push-yourself-harder kind of spars. They stopped, panting a little and Shisui smiled at Izuna from under his fringe,

'That was a good warm-up, ne, Izu-kun? But isn't it time to meet with sensei and Hayate?'

'_Izu-kun?__!'_ he wondered briefly but nodded nonetheless. Just when he was ready to label the morning as 'surprisingly-well-passed' his personal nasty awakening arrived in the form of one Uchiha Takka, a 14-year-old Chuunin.

'Well, well, isn't it the little mouse from the dead last family? Shisui-san, you shouldn't waste your time on the useless freak!'

Izuna flinched but said nothing. With guys like that one it was always easier to just stay silent and they'd go away soon. There was, however, another opinion on the matter.

'Would you stop acting all high and mighty, huh? Can live perfectly well without your advice. Come on, Izu-kun, we need to go to our team meeting!' And Shisui practically dragged him away from the compound. When they were halfway to the usual meeting place he broke his silence. 'Why do you put up with this, Izu-kun? That guy was so full of it but he's totally wrong! You have to say something to such empty crap!'

The older boy just shrugged his shoulders. What was there to say? That he wasn't the clan's prodigy to take such things so lightly? That his family had enough on its shoulders without him add? That it would be so much like his brother that he couldn't stand it? Izuna just kept silent. Shisui was about to continue pestering him when they noticed somebody was already there, in the middle of their training ground. Both boys hid behind the bush simultaneously and did their best to hear what was being said. And they had the reason to be curious: their own teammate was there, standing stiffly in front of a tall man in ANBU gear. They could only see Hayate's face since the man's back was to them, but that was enough to realize the conversation wasn't an easy one.

_**Hayate**_

Hayate has made a mistake. For a brief moment he's allowed himself to think that just maybe after completing a successful mission things might get better. Well, duh. There he was, standing in front of his elder brother who has spent a bit of his precious time to watch a part of his morning training. So far he hasn't said a word but Hayate dreaded what was coming.

'I've seen enough. I've heard your report. I've also read a report your sensei has submitted to the Hokage. She thinks you did well even though she hadn't seen your first fight. So, you managed to use Ken Rendan successfully. And you also claim to have only used kenjutsu on both your opponents.'

At that Junnosuke paused and Hayate steeled himself.

'You did not bad. However, I don't appreciate your relying only on your weapon. Next time I expect you to perform better than that.'

Hayate looked at his feet and replied, 'Hai, Nii-sama'.

His brother just looked at him sternly and added quietly, 'Also, I'll spar with you tonight at 7 at home. I intend to show you a new technique which is to be perfected in three weeks. Do not disappoint me, Hayate.' He disappeared in a swirl of leaves the next moment.

Hayate regarded the place where his brother was standing just a while ago with eyes full of devotion and a wild desire to impress him, 'I won't, Nii-sama'.

His teammates chose that exact moment to crawl from behind the bushes and he realized they've probably seen the whole thing. He wasn't embarrassed in the slightest.

'So…that was your brother, huh?' Izuna sure felt awkward judging from his tone. 'An ANBU. He seems strict.'

Hayate nodded. 'He is. He should be since he's one of the village's best. Why are you two here so early, anyway? Sensei wanted to start an hour later than usual.'

Shisui looked at him surprised, 'Huh? I didn't know. Maybe I've left by the time she mentioned it.' Izuna looked a bit tense, 'I guess, I kinda forgot. And it's better to hang around here than in the compound, so…' He stopped talking, obviously not willing to speak. Hayate frowned but decided to let it slip. 'Might as well try out some team moves. How about practicing formation C with Izuna in sensei's place? Against an imaginary enemy?' The guys were about to agree when they were roughly interrupted by a barrage of kunai hitting the spot they've just been standing at.

'Ha, your reflexes have gotten better, though you need to sense chakra signatures better. I was hiding mine, of course, but you brats need to learn to get through this.' Sensei was now standing in front of them as they slowly relaxed and abandoned their places back to back. She smiled wickedly and continued, 'I've got something better for you that morning. Just knew you'd come early anyways. So listen closely! We're starting a new training program here.' She motioned for them to sit down and started pacing in front of them.

'You'll gather here at 9 am after completing your morning routine on your own. We'll be doing some taijutsu spars first, then go on with ninjutsu. You desperately need it, folks. You'll each be given a new jutsu every week and you'll have to master it and teach the others. Some low-level crap at first, but, hey, it's useful. Then you'll do your personal training, got it? All right! Now I want to test your elemental affinities, ever heard about that?'

As the Genin nodded she took 3 pieces of paper from her pocket and handed it to them. 'This is chakra paper. Chanel your chakra to it and we'll see. Shorty, you first.'

Shisui glared at her but Kushina just smiled innocently. He did as told and suddenly a piece in his hand ignited and turned to ash so he was forced to drop it.

'Hm, Fire, not a surprise for an Uchiha, is it?' Kushina was all thoughtful. She nodded to Izuna. 'You next'.

Izuna's paper crumpled up. 'Ho, that's nice. Lightning, not ordinary indeed. That might prove useful. '

Hayate was next and he just wasn't so sure he'd do well. He didn't actually know what well meant in this situation, but still there was a chance he'd screw up something. He channeled his chakra through the paper and it became dump and then split in two. 'Yare, yare, two natures already! Little Hayate's got some luck. Water and Wind, a dangerous combination. It's just, there hasn't been a shinobi in Konoha with Water as his main affinity since the Niidaime. We'll have some trouble with finding good Suiton jutsu for you, but fear not, Awesome Kushina will think something up!'

She jumped enthusiastically and said a bit too loudly for Hayate's ears, 'Now, I'm gonna think about your training properly and while I'm at it, you brats are going to enjoy yourselves. A new chakra control exercise! I want it done by the day after tomorrow since we'll probably have a mission then. It'll improve your control greatly and you'll need it for the new jutsu I'll be giving you. Come with me.'

They followed her to the small stream in the back of the area and Kushina exclaimed dramatically while making a wide gesture in its direction, 'Water walking! A bit trickier than tree climbing, but you did great last time, it'll be easy. You just have to constantly change the amount of chakra you emit from your feet. With still water it's easier, but we're not the ones for easy paths, are we? I'll check on you later, do your best, guys!'

She crossed the stream showing them what to do and waving her hand lazily. On the last step she Shunshin'ed away.

'Showoff,' Shisui muttered and sighed. 'We'd better start then'. He cautiously stepped on the water but two steps later he was ankle-deep in the stream and the expression n is face wasn't promising. 'Cold!'

Hayate scowled: easy, duh!

_**Shisui**_

The team was moving slowly towards the ramen stand in the center of the village to have their hard-earned lunch. Kushina-sensei was careless enough to promise to treat them and Shisui was going to fully enjoy it. Too bad she wasn't aware of his love for free treats. The small stand came into view and he was just about to make a mad, absolutely inappropriate for an Uchiha dash to it when a voice called from behind,

'Oi, Kushina-chan! Long time no see!'

Shisui turned around and saw a tall man with shaggy blond hair waving excitedly at his sensei who didn't seem happy one bit. She was, in fact, frowning and trying to hide behind Hayate, who did his best to avoid being used as a human-shield. The cheerful man came closer and Shisui turned his attention to the three following him. They were obviously a team which has just returned from the mission, their clothes strained with dirt. The shortest one had odd silver hair, his face hidden behind a black mask; next to him was a girl with brown hair and violet marks on her cheeks. The last one was a boy in goggles with a mop of black hair sticking in every direction. They came close to the group and the blond man tried to hug sensei. A moment later he was punched to the ground and Kushina yelled angrily,

'Minato! Keep your hands to yourself if you don't want them removed!'

The fallen shinobi stood up, rubbing his chin and grinned sheepishly,

'It's worth trying, Kushina-chan. But is it any way to greet your dear friend who's been risking his life to see you again? By the way, is it your team? A nice bunch of brats they are, huh?'

Sensei was still frowning, but not anger anymore as she replied with a smirk,

'Yeah, not too bad of a bunch. That's Gekkou Hayate, Uchiha Izuna and Uchiha Shisui, infamous Sharingan wielders. Brats, that over-confident idiot is Namikaze Minato, the loudest shinobi in Konoha. The brats beside him are his team, Hatake Kakashi, Rin and Uchiha Obito. They…'

She was interrupted when Izuna suddenly stepped forward and said quietly, his eyes fixed on the black-haired boy,

'Welcome back, nii-san'

_**Hayate**_

'Huh?'

Shisui seemed to be at loss for words when Izuna greeted that guy from the other team as his brother. Hayate wasn't so surprised simply because it wasn't really unusual for people to have brothers who were shinobi too. Hell, more often than not it runs in the family. The older boy, Obito, grinned at them and made a move to ruffle Izuna's hair, the latter ducking effectively.

'Hey, otouto, how are you doing? How was your mission, not to difficult, eh?'

Kushina threw her two cents in then,

'Yeah, guess what, Minato, our C-rank turned into B unexpectedly. My brats did well, finished three Chuunin and more! Little Izuna here…'

The boy in question had his hand at the woman's mouth that second,

'Surely, sensei, you wouldn't be bragging about what a great team we are, would you? Because we usually hear the opposite from you.'

Hayate raised his eyebrows: his teammate didn't want her to speak about his development for some reason which was strange for him. Had it been his brother Hayate would let sensei say all she wanted if it was in his favor. Obito, however, wasn't distracted,

'What is it, Izuna? What did you do? Use some clever move I taught you? Was it that roundhouse kick that…'

Izuna released sensei and replied not looking at his brother,

'No, nii-san. It's the Sharingan.'

'Oh,' Obito seemed lost for a moment, then smiled a bit unnaturally, 'Great! You did it! Dad must be ecstatic. Ah, sensei, shouldn't we report to the Hokage now?'

The blond-haired man seemed to realize his student's trouble as he nodded and motioned for his team to go,

'See you later, Kushina-chan, reports are just that evil'

They were watching the retreating team as Kushina looked uneasily at Izuna,

'Hey, what was that?'

The boy was reluctant to answer but he did,

'My brother hasn't awakened his bloodline yet. He is kind of pressured because of that since he's 14 already. I didn't want to…I wanted to tell him later' he kicked a stone with his foot. 'I think I'd better go home now, sensei. See you tomorrow'

Hayate watched his teammate leave but his thoughts were on his own brother. How different could elder brothers be. Gekkou Junnosuke has always been an example for Hayate, a goal far ahead. Ever since their father died he was the force pushing Hayate forward. To have a brother who was behind…he couldn't imagine what Izuna felt.

Seeing as the boys were both deep in thought, Kushina cursed quietly and said,

'I guess we'd better eat out later. Go home too, meet you tomorrow.'

Hayate nodded absent-mindedly and left. He had a lot to think about.

**A.N.** So, we've got a new training regimen! Next time: new jutsu, difficult sibling relationships, Kakashi finds an unexpected company, Awesome Kushina plots and Minato is confused.

Please, Read and Review! See you soon!


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